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Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Castor oil: between torture and radiant health

There are some tasks in life that we avoid.
At least there is one that I do, and that is to take the monthly 3 teaspoons of
castor oil in the morning. Through the years I have tried to reinvent a way to
take it in a way that is less unpleasant; however, I must admit that I have
failed. There are ways to alleviated the strong taste of castor oil, like
taking it with lemon juice and jaggery (cane sugar), or just imagine that you
are in a bar and you take it in one chug. All I know is that after the intake
of this

glutinous substance the body has a great sense of relief. Also, it is
helpful to know why you are doing it and to know the amazing health benefits of
this castor bean.

Why we do it?

Apart from the obvious reason, which is to expel deep waste from the
colon, we can learn much more about castor oil. According to Michael Tierra,
one of my favorite herbalists, castor oil is also used in cases of epilepsy,
paralysis, nervous disorders, liver disorders, warts and cysts. When it is
applied externally it reduces inflammation with bruises, injuries and
stiffness. It also reduces benign masses like breast and ovarian cysts and it promotes
childbirth when given to a woman in labor.

Get a closer look

The evergreen castor plant is native to tropical Africa and India,
where it may grow to be a 40-foot tree. The beans contain an extremely deadly
toxin which must be removed by special processing before the oil is usable.

Ayurveda categorizes castor oil as heating, pungent and sweet, which
makes it good for Vatta dosha. It can increase Pitta and Kapha. It works in the
tissues of liver, spleen, nerves and digestion. The action of castor oil or
Erand, as it is called in Ayurveda, is cathartic, demulcent, analgesic and nervine.

Uses of castor oil

Castor oil is the main treatment for Vatta dosha. Tierra uses it for
all Vatta imbalances including pains, constipation and arthritis. Castor oil
supports joint, muscle, connective tissue and skin health. Castor oil is the
“arnica of Ayurveda” since its astringent effects helps to stabilize
hypermobile joints and to reduce swellings and benign masses in breast,
ovaries, varicose veins, swollen lymph glands, enlarged liver or spleen and
lipomas. Long-term use of castor oil can make a great impact on fibromyalgia.
Other uses can be to treat hemorrhoids, anal irritation, strains, bruises,
sciatica and even hiccups.

Uses in Women’s Health and
Beauty

Castor oil is a wonderful friend of women. Here are a few of it
uses:

•Improves the production of milk
in lactating mothers. Do a gentle warm castor oil massage to the breasts.

•Apply it directly to the
affected skin area and leave it on for an hour and then wash it off after an
hour.

•Repeat this in the morning and
night for faster results.

•If the affected area is small,
soak a Band-Aid in castor oil, apply it on the affected area and cover it with
a clean one.

If the affected area is large, soak
a cloth in castor oil and place on the affected area for an hour before washing
off.

Castor oil when applied to the skin goes deep and
stimulates the production of collagen and elastin. It works wonders for
wrinkles and face fine lines. For best results apply every day for 15 days in
the evening after washing your face. Rotate the application every 20 days or so
as the oil is thick and you don’t want to use too much of it. It can clog the
pores, leading to skin irritation or breakouts.

Castor oil works well for darkening the hair. The
humectant properties (to help retain water) of the oil, combined with its
nutrients, helps lock moisture in the hair. The result is that it makes the
hair appear darker. Apply over the hair as well as in the scalp; it will
prevent scalp infections, itchiness and bald patches. Frequent application of
the oil will increase hair growth.

Castor oil helps prevent tissue tearing. When I was
ready to give birth to my first child, I applied it daily for 3 weeks to my
genitals to prevent tearing of the tissues at the moment of birth. I am happy to
report that it really worked. I delivered my beautiful baby and my organs did
not suffer from the postpartum trauma.

Children and Castor Oil

My Doctor in India, Dr. Sapna,
suggests for young children suffering from constipation to put castor oil on
top of the head, on the belly and just on the outside of their rectum. She said
that this should be enough to produce an effect. If the children aren’t responding
to that treatment then they are ready to take it internally. In Ayurveda there
is a children’s version of castor oil call Bala, to give internally. In case of
constipation dissolve 2 drops of castor oil in warm milk. If you can not
purchase the children castor oil, you can use regular oil. After 7 years of age
you can give a child ½ tsp. of castor oil.

How to purify with castor oil.

Purification of the intestines with
castor oil is safe, quick and nourishing to the digestive system. There are
different degrees of purification in Ayurveda using castor oil. With panchakarma
therapies it is often used with herbs for purgation, in vasti (enemas) and
local external treatments.

For monthly purifications at home
you can use 6 tsps. of castor oil. Take the oil early in the morning, around 4
a.m. and by 7 a.m. you should have some bowel movements that may last a couple
of hours. Drink sips of warm water during the day and don’t ingest any food
until you have no further bowel movements. Rest, stay at home to prevent any
“Accidents” and at the end of the day eat only soupy oatmeal. Your ayurvedic
practitioner may suggest some purgation herbs to complement the treatment.

For a simple laxative use you can add 1-2 tbsps. (15-30 ml) of Castor Oil in warm milk and
take it at bedtime. I find the castor oil preparation
in India for internal uses is much more “palatable and gentle”. Ayurveda combines castor oil with a castor
root decoction to make it carminative and to prevent irritations.

Health tips and how to use castor oil externally

Castor oil is messy but there are
ways to benefit from this gift of earth.

For compresses: Apply warm castor oil in the desired area. Massage
until all the oil is absorbed; castor oil penetrates deep so help it with a
good gentle massage. After it is absorbed put a thick coat of warm castor oil
and cover it with plastic and keep it for a few hours or overnight. Repeat the
compress daily for a few days until symptoms disappear. As well, there are
commercially available castor oil packs that you can use. I do however, prefer
to use the traditional way.

Chronic Constipation and Bleeding
from the gums: Take 1 tsp of castor oil with milk at bed time.

Breast cancer: For breast cancer in the initial stages do the
following:

1.Massage breast with castor oil.

2.Take
5 grams of castor plant leaves and cook in 200 liters of water and when water
reduces to 50 litres, filter and drink. Take this twice a day and use
regularly.

3.Boil leaves of castor plant and apply
this to the affected area.

Central Obesity: Take 20 grams of the roots of castor and make it
into powder and cook in 400 ml water. When it reduces to 100 ml mix it with 2 tbsps.
of castor oil and drink two times a day.

Swelling in vagina: Take cotton and soak in castor oil and apply to
vagina.

Ayurvedic Properties and Action on Body

For medicinal purpose the leaves and
dried mature roots of plant are used. Below are the Ayurvedic properties and
action of fresh leaves and dried roots of castor.

Fresh leaves:

Rasa
(Taste): Katu (pungent), Kashaya/Astringent, Madhura/Sweet

Guna
(Characteristics): Sukshma, Snigdha/Unctuous, Tikshna/Sharp

Virya (Potency):
Ushna/Hot

Vipaka
(Post Digestive Effect): Madhura/Sweet

Effects on
Tridoshas (Humor): Pacifies Vata and Kapha.

Dried, mature roots:

Rasa
(Taste): Madhura/Sweet

Guna
(Characteristics): Guru/Heavy, Snigdha/Unctuous

Virya
(Potency): Ushna/Hot

Vipaka (Post
Digestive Effect): Madhura/Sweet

Contraindications

1.Do not use
castor oil in intestinal obstruction or for abdominal pain of unknown origin,
appendicitis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBS).

2.Do not consume
for more than 8–10 days.

3.Do not consume
castor oil frequently as it can cause electrolyte losses, gastric irritation
and allergic skin reactions. It should not be given to children frequently.

4.Castor seed
contains very toxic components, about 3% of whole seed, which is highly
poisonous for human beings and animals. Intake of a single seed for children,
and about 3-20 seeds for adults, can kill. Use only commercial available castor
oil or ayurvedic preparations.

5.Castor oil is
used to induce labour so don’t take it while pregnant. If it istaken in excess it causes serious
side-effects such as abdominal pain, loose bowels, disease of the stomach,
nausea and vomiting

Castor Plant in the Garden

Castor
plant is a very attractive plant in any garden. The plant bears oval, glossy brown and beautiful seeds. These
seeds look very attractive but are highly poisonous in nature due to the presence
of ricin. Castor seeds are lethal to every animal. It is said about 2.5–3.0
seed can kill a man (chewing a single seed may be fatal to a child), 4 to kill
a rabbit, 5 for sheep, 6 for ox, 6 for horse, 7 for pig, 11 for dog and 80
seeds for a duck.

So
don’t think you can use castor seeds at home for therapeutic use. Use however,
the plant to honour their gift and to connect at the energetic level if you are
using their energy for a specific healing or for preparation of medicines. I
like to place my castor plant near other exotic tropical plants, like cannas
and palms. Castor plant likes full sun and is easy to grow since it likes rough
soil.

Let’s
understand now why castor seeds are highly toxic and castor oil is safe to use.
The answer is, the toxic protein, Ricin, which is present in the hull of the
seed and in oil processing of hulled seeds. The hulled seeds are cleaned,
cooked and dried before oil extraction. Cooking ensures proper oil extraction
and Ricin, which remains stable at normal conditions, gets inactivated by heat.
Moreover ricin is water-soluble and not oil soluble. Extracted oil contains no
trace of Ricin. The pulp or cake, which is obtained after oil extraction, is
used as manure.

May
you be gentle and wise in using this earth gift. May you and your family be
well, be happy and enjoy radiant health.